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  • youngfg

    June 11, 2009 8:16 a.m. youngfg New Reader

    My dad was working on a fuel tank filler neck for an old truck. The filler neck was going to connect to a rubber hose so it needed a bead put on it. I built the following tubing beader in about 10 minutes out of a set of crappy chinese locking pliers I had laying around.

    I drilled a 5/16" hole in a piece of 1/4" thick plate and cut that in half for the bottom jaw. I welded a piece of a 1/4" bolt to the upper jaw. Make sure that you have the flat area behind the bolt on the upper jaw or it will just curl the edge of the pipe over. I added some weld and filed it down to create that part of the upper jaw.

    Here are some pics of the completed tool, and the results on steel tubing, I would think that aluminum would be even easier to work with.

  • June 11, 2009 8:22 a.m. 2.0dohc New Reader

    worked pretty well, did you have to heat up the tube to do it?

  • aircooled

    June 11, 2009 10:35 a.m. aircooled SuperDork

    ...and people ask if they really need a welder...

    Welder + Harbor Freight Tools = Wide world of highly specialized tools.

  • Keith

    June 11, 2009 10:40 a.m. Keith UberDork

    Well, if you've got a welder, you can just lay down a bead of weld around the outside of the pipe :) But I like this. I think I need to make one.

  • youngfg

    June 11, 2009 11:35 a.m. youngfg New Reader

    I didn't heat up the tube to put the bead on it. It took about two trips around the tube to do it.

  • Mental

    June 11, 2009 12:44 p.m. Mental UberDork

    That is slick, thanks for sharing

  • June 11, 2009 12:52 p.m. Nashco SuperDork

    Neat trick. FWIW, the local radiator shop said they charge $5 per bead to roll them on custom stuff. Not nearly as DIY as your Chinese plier mod, but if you only need one or two beads that's an easy, cheap alternative too.

    Bryce

  • June 11, 2009 3:22 p.m. kb58 New Reader

    A tip, make sure to get large pliers. I made one of these and used the small pair... needs more leverage!

 

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